Posted: March 13, 2007

Athletics: Defending Champion Tomo Morimoto returns to Vienna City Marathon

Tomo Morimoto wining the Vienna City Marathon 2006, Photo: Victah Sailer Tomo Morimoto will come back to the Vienna City Marathon (VCM) to defend her title on 29th April. The Japanese winner from last year, who had clocked a first class 2:24:33, is the first major international signing announced by the organisers of Austria’s biggest and most prestigious road race. As last year more than 20,000 runners are expected to take part in various races of the event. When Tomo Morimoto won the Vienna City Marathon a year ago she achieved a huge improvement of her personal best of more than three minutes. She had entered the race with a personal record of 2:27:46 and finally clocked 2:24:33. Running so fast on Vienna’s picturesque and flat course Tomo Morimoto came unexpectedly close to the course record of 2:23:47. This was set by Maura Viceconte back in 2000 and still also stands as the Italian record. Depending on how well training will go in the next weeks the course record could come under threat by Tomo Morimoto. “Last year’s race was a very impressive experience for me and the support of the spectators was great. I really felt great in Vienna and I am looking forward to coming back”, 24 year-old Tomo Morimoto said. “We are happy and proud that our defending champion Tomo Morimoto will run the Vienna City Marathon again. With her extraordinary performance and her charisma she has become very popular among the people in Vienna”, said Race Director Wolfgang Konrad, who earlier had already announced the signing of Susanne Pumper. Last year Pumper had broken the Austrian marathon record in Vienna, clocking 2:32:21. After experiencing difficult training conditions in Albuquerque (USA) due to snow and very cold weather conditions Tomo Morimoto had missed qualification for the Japanese marathon team that will run in the World Championships in Osaka this summer. At the Osaka Marathon in January she finished only 12th with 2:38:24. While this was bad luck for Morimoto it could turn into good luck for Vienna. It is here where the Japanese now wants to prove that she can do much better. Additionally she wants to make an impression in Vienna before it goes for the Olympic qualification in late autumn or winter. Mild winter may result in bigger field at VCM While Tomo Morimoto experienced a hard winter in the USA the last few months have been unusually mild in Austria. This of course was a major blow for Austria’s skiiing business. But for the Vienna City Marathon it could well turn into an advantage. Runners were able to train well throughout the winter and interest in Austria’s number one running event so far is bigger than in the past few years. For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com.